WGS-6 is the sixth satellite in the US Air Force’s Wideband Global Satcom system. Originally named Wideband Gapfiller Satellite, WGS was envisioned as an interim program to bridge the gap between the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) and the advanced Transformational Satellite program, which has since been cancelled. Funding for WGS-6 was provided by the Australian government in exchange for access to the Wideband Global Satcom system. Australia was the first country other than the United States to join the WGS program; other countries including Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and New Zealand have since joined, jointly providing funding for the WGS-9 satellite expected to launch in a few years’ time.